showcase new york issue 316

Dec 2011

Welcome to the latest issue of Showcase New York, brought to you by Production Paradise. We present the very best of the local visual media industry, with more information available in our dedicated Photo and Film directories.

While Mary Pratt, founder of Mission Photo Production, frequently works on advertising campaigns and car shoots, she enjoys the diversity that comes with the territory.

Recently, Mission produced photo and film footage for long-time client Daimler/Mercedes in Texas and Oregon, as well as stills for Chevrolet in Detroit and Chicago. In addition, Mission and North South Productions co-produced an ad campaign for Wempe in New York City.

“One of the aspects I love about my career is the variety,” Mary reflects. “No job is alike, and yet each project feeds the next one - often in unpredictable ways. By continuously building upon experiences, I can offer clients a platform on which their concepts and needs can be realised successfully.”

As a production agency offering photography and video services for top fashion brands and retailers, Splashlight is a leading creative partner. Harnessing the latest tools, studios and proprietary production technology software, its team employs a strategic approach to production which the company sees as the catalyst for creating effective visual media that drives revenue and strengthens brand identity.

Splashlight's foundation in fashion has led to the development of a unique approach to strategic art buying and production planning, whether the project be advertising, catalogue, editorial or eCommerce product photography. This has helped the company to build an impressive and growing portfolio of clients including ALDO, AnnTaylor, Bloomingdale’s, CalvinKleinUnderwear, HMXGroup, Macy’s, NicoleMiller, Nordstrom, RalphLauren and Spiegel.

Cindi Blair Productions is located in NYC and the Turks & Caicos and is a full service global production company. With over 15 years of experience it can handle locations, casting, rental equipment, visas, budgeting, scouting, crew hire, and much more.

Fully dedicated to providing professional cost effective services, the company focuses on keeping things moving quickly and efficiently while ensuring that the needs of the crew, budget and production are being met. The company is the only on-island production company and has been recognised exclusively by the Turks & Caicos tourism board.

Look out for its two new locations companies - Westhampton Locations and St. Vincent & The Grenadines.

Hailing from a small German village, Cassis Birgit Staudt has passionately scouted the mean streets of NYC and it’s surroundings for 15 years. Endlessly fascinated by her adopted city, Cassis has an encyclopedic knowledge of its nooks and crannies -from the newly built Allegria Hotel in Nassau County to the Catskills, from Irish pubs near Wall Street to Midtown penthouses. Cassis is well versed in the 'rules of engagement' (what is allowed and when) for shooting in such a highly photographed city like New York and has built an extensive, quality photo database.

Cassis started out as the sole scout on Jim Jarmusch's 'Dead Man', was the Trading Floor specialist for Oliver Stone's 'Wall Street II', and scouted innumerable rooftops for Sam Raimi's 'Spiderman I'. The photographers she has been privileged to work with include Ellen von Unwerth and Steven Meisel. Among the commercial directors who have raved about her ‘eye’ are Anthony Atanasio (Bandits/Hadrians Wall) and Ericson Core/Backyard Productions. Sigur Ros/White Label also chose her to location manage one of their music videos that had a mainly naked cast shot in a highly sensitive New York location.

Visit her website for a detailed client list and in-depth information.

Jim Barber Studio specialises in still life images and videos that communicate ideas. The process is one that uses the company's fully equipped studio and state-of-the-art equipment to bring clients' ideas to life, with an attention to quality, detail, and budget. Jim counts over 100 of the Fortune 500 companies as clients.

Hugrun Ragnarsson, or "Huggy" - the nickname she is known by - is an international fashion and portrait photographer born in Reykjavik, Iceland.

She works in Reykjavik, New York and London shooting covers, features, portraits and editorials with many celebrities, musicians, sports stars and models, for major international fashion magazines and media publications.

Huggy is one of the world's top female photographers and a contributor to the highly acclaimed 4 inches photography publication and print auction for the Sir Elton John Aids Foundation.

Email her direct for more information, or for syndication contact Mel Marson.

Herring & Herring:
New York fashion photographers

Herring & Herring is a collaboration between Dimitri Scheblanov (Russia/USA) and Jesper Carlsen (Denmark/USA), engaging in fashion photography. The team's photographic approach is based upon concept rather than a singular style. Their aim is to continuously push the boundaries of story telling through an ever-expanding visual vernacular.

Cade Martin is an award-winning photographer for advertising, corporate and fashion clients worldwide. His meticulous attention to detail helps shape an environment that echoes the real world, but with a heightened emotional focus.

Specialising in people and location photography, Martin has worked for clients including TommyHilfiger, CoorsBrewingCompany, Zurich, America's Next Top Model, DiscoveryChannel, KarlaColletto, IBM, Verizon, MarriottInternational, Grey Goose, NationalGeographicSociety and other companies and creative agencies.

He was awarded second place in the 'Fashion' category at the APA contest.

Christopher Auger-Dominguez is an award-winning New York-based freelance portrait and fashion photographer. Extensive travel and a degree in Geography from Texas A&M University informs Christopher’s work with a unique texture and palette. Focusing his career on children’s portraiture and fashion for the past six years, he has developed an energetic and powerful portrait style.

Christopher utilises impeccable, sometimes cinematic lighting to capture fresh imagery of his energetic subjects. His artistically mature approach draws from his ability to connect with children while capturing their playful spirit.

He was awarded with merit in the 'Fashion' category of the APA contest.

Ty Cole is an Alabama-born, New York-based photographer. He specialises in documenting the built environment but takes great pride in his environmental portraits, personal projects and landscape imagery.

In his short career he has had the good fortune to collaborate with international advertising agencies, magazines and architectural firms. The driving force behind Ty's work is passion, while his ever increasing thirst for knowledge serves as his inspiration. Once described as observational, his images are "obsessively composed" and often taken from an outside vantage point enabling the viewer to really study the subject.

Ty was awarded with merit in the 'Architecture' category of the APA contest.

Danish-born photographer Morten Bengtsson is known for his slick, creative imagery and use of technical innovation. Born in Copenhagen in 1976, Morten has been interested in photography for as long as he can remember. He began his career as a bike messenger in his late teens, when a trip to a film lab led to an assistant job with a photographer.

He pursued advertising photography at the Danish School of Photography and eventually went on to become partners with the very same photographer he originally assisted. Since then, Morten has become a successful advertising and editorial photographer in his own right, both abroad and in the United States.

His work is unique for its imaginative use of lighting and technology. Together with his retoucher, Morten has been able to master the use of contemporary post production techniques such as CGI. The resulting imagery is impressive in its depth, use of light, and technical complexity. He possesses the ability to work in many different styles while maintaining a characteristic atmosphere and level of quality.

Currently based in his hometown of Copenhagen, but often shooting around the world, Morten's advertising clients include Toyota, Pfizer, Citroen, Kellogg’s, Carlsberg, Celebrex, AlisSkateGear, RemRemWatches, CBBMobil, SportingBetUK, Skoda and Konecranes.

Morten is also a three-time winner of the Danish Creative Circle award for photographer of the year and won first place in the the 2011 APA awards in the category 'Action Photography'. He has been featured in the Luerzer’s Archive as one of the 200 best advertising photographers worldwide.

Contact Stacy Fischer at Exposure NY on 212-475-5565 or visit the website to see a portfolio of Morten's work.

There was once a formidable line between broadcast and print - one moved and the other didn't. With web (and now tablets), everything can move, or not move... William Hereford creates content for this growing hybridity.

Originally from Virginia, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY where he works as a photographer and director. His work has received honours at the American Photography Awards, the AOP Awards, American Photographer's Artists, and The Brooklyn Museum.

Robert Anthony DeRosa is an urban landscape photographer. His images explore themes of resilience, evolution and transformation through the examination of the cityscape. His work has been published in Photo District News, PhotoshopUser, MormonArtist and 'Real World Digital Photography' 3rd Edition. It has also been exhibited in the juried shows 'Something Personal', 'Capture Brooklyn' and 'Provocation' as well as in the group shows 'Optic Nerve' and 'The Exhibition Lab Exhibition'.

Interviews of Robert can be found at the NY1 television website, in the article 'Capturing a Photographer' on the blog GowanusYourFaceOff.com and in edition 13 of Mormon Artist.

He also won first place in the 'Personal/ Fine Art' photography category in the APA contest.

Anna Williams was born in Richmond and studied photography at the University of the South. It was there that visiting professor Owen Butler told her: "If you want to shoot, start assisting." She moved to New York and converted a tiny East Village bathroom into a darkroom while assisting some top studio photographers. A few years later she was out on her own, and was soon recognised by PDN's '30 under 30' for her outstanding work.

She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter and son and works as a freelance photographer.

In 2004 Michael Turek begin his career in New York after studying photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. After two years assisting he began shooting lifestyle and travel assignments around the globe.

His long-running personal project, 'Holiday/Home', documents his parents near their home in Yorkshire in the north of England.

Recent awards include recognition in American Photography 27, PDN Photo Annuals, and APA, where he was awarded with merit in the 'Landscape' category.